Quiet at the Feeders (1 Viewer)

Hi All,

Seem to recall raising the question in a posting in Autumn 2004 that fewer birds visiting the village feeders than usual and wondered if the wet cold weather during the breeding season was a cause?

I've monitored the comings and goings all winter and numbers are definately well down for all the commoner species. My neighbours agree. I live in a tiny village almost on the bank of the river South Tyne in the far Southwest of Northumberland surrounded by small areas of woodland and farmland (great habitat for birds) and during the 14 years I've lived here have fed the birds. Use the usual feeders (peanuts, Nyger) fat balls, seed and occasionally bread.

Usual common species have always visited in good numbers, this winter, aside from the resident gang of 20+ Sparrows there are often long spells when no birds are present. List follows with past years numbers in brackets.

Blue Tit 3-4 (12-15+)
Great Tit 1-2 (3-4)
Coal Tit 1-2 (3-4)
Long-Tailed Tit 5-6(5-6)
Dunnock very scarce some days not seen (2-4)
Robin 1 (2-3)
Blackbird 4-5 (12+)
Chaffinch 5-6 (20+)
Greenfinch none! (10-12+)
Siskin 3-4 (20-40 some years peaking in February)
Goldfinch none (4-6)
Great-spotted Woodpecker none (2-3)
Collared Dove none (2-4)

Appreciate it has been a milder winter and numbers do fluctuate but we feed right through (Siskins visit in good numbers as late as July/August) The onset of this very cold snowy weather has not improved numbers which begs the question "where are they"?

Anyone else noticed a reduction?

Stewart

:h?:

Hi Stewart

Well I am a bit further North 15 miles South of Glasgow and this year I appear to have your Greenfinch and Goldfinch as I have had an increase in greenfinch from 1-2 now 8-12. This is my 4th year in this house and the first with Goldfinch from about last March till now I have had 8-12 daily costing a fortune in Niger seed o. I would say possibly slight drop in both Blue and Great Tits but they could be getting put off by the more aggresive finches.

Hi Stewart,

Mainly because there's been an excellent crop of natural food this autumn, so most birds aren't needing to visit feeders. Kielder Forest has far more seeds in it at the moment than 100,000 bird tables. And there's still plenty of berries in the hedges too.

Most small birds had a good breeding season in 2004, so bird numbers are also high, but still not enough to exhaust the bumper seed crops

Maybe Peter but have had mild winters in past and lots of birds at feeders (easier than foraging) so the Jury is stll out as they say.

Stewart